Color of berry skin Noir Notable regions Austria Sweetness of resulting wine Dry Scientific name Vitis vinifera 'Zweigelt' | Species Vitis vinifera Origin Austria, Klosterneuburg Wine color Red Wine Higher classification Common Grape Vine | |
Also called Blauer Zweigelt, Rotburger Original pedigree St. Laurent & Blaufränkisch Similar Blaufränkisch, Grüner Veltliner, St Laurent, Welschriesling, Pinot blanc | ||
Zweigelt is a red wine grape variety developed in 1922, at the Federal Institute for Viticulture and Pomology at Klosterneuburg, Austria, by Fritz Zweigelt. It was a crossing of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch. It is now the most widely grown red grape variety in Austria, as well as having some presence in Canada's vineyards. In 2008, Austrian plantations stood at 6,512 hectares (16,090 acres), and have expanded in the 2000s as a part of general red wine trend in Austria.
Contents
What is zweigelt
Wine regions
Widely planted in Austria, Zweigelt vines have made inroads in the Canadian wine regions of Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and of British Columbia, with limited plantings in Hungary. In the Czech Republic it is known as Zweigeltrebe and is the third-most widely planted red-grape variety, comprising approximately 4.7% of total vineyards. It grows in most of the wine regions in Slovakia. As of 2010, newly established Belgian and Polish vineyards have also started to plant Zweigelt. As of 2014, Washington state U.S.A. has several small plantings (no more than a few acres) of Zweigelt, including Wilridge Winery and Perennial Vintners.
Synonyms
Zweigelt is also known as Rotburger (not to be confused with Rotberger), Zweigeltrebe, and Blauer Zweigelt.